Steam/hot water device monitoring

Abstract

Systems and methods for testing steam traps or other similar devices in a hot water or steam system are described. A tester includes a wand that is handheld that can communicate with a handheld electronic device which in turn can communicate with a central monitor for storing and compiling readings as historical profile data. The wand includes a probe to physically contact the device to acoustically sense the performance of the device. The probe includes a probe tip and a stack of acoustic elements, an electrode, a stack mass, and a head to covert the acoustic signal into an electrical signal. The handheld device includes circuitry to process the information, interact with the user, and transmit information to and from the handheld electronic device and/or the central monitor.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A tester for a steam or hot water component having at least one device, comprising:
 a probe extending between a distal end and a proximal end; 
 the distal end of the probe defining a probe tip to contact the at least one device; 
 a first acoustic element located adjacent to the proximal end of the probe tip; 
 a second acoustic element spaced apart from the first acoustic element such that there is a space between the first acoustic element and the second acoustic element; 
 an electrode located between and spacing the first acoustic element and the second acoustic element; 
 a stud extending internally through the first acoustic element and the second acoustic element and at a distal end into the electrode; 
 a stack mass adjacent to the second acoustic element and remote from the first acoustic element; and 
 a head located on the stud proximate the stack mass and electrically connected to the electrode to detect acoustic readings at the probe tip. 
 
     
     
       2. The tester of  claim 1 , further the electrode comprising a shim in the space intermediate the first acoustic element and the second acoustic element holding the first acoustic element and the second acoustic element separate and spaced from each other. 
     
     
       3. The tester of  claim 2 , further comprising an acoustic isolator attached to the proximal end of the probe. 
     
     
       4. The tester of  claim 2 , wherein the head includes an amplifier disk to receive a signal from the stud and at least one of the first acoustic element and the second acoustic element. 
     
     
       5. The tester of  claim 4 , wherein the head includes circuitry to process acoustic signals mounted to the amplifier disk and wherein the head further includes a negative ground plane connecting the amplifier disk to the stud. 
     
     
       6. The tester of  claim 5 , wherein the circuitry of the head includes a digital signal processor in electrical connection with the head and a communication module for pairing with and transmitting readings to a mobile device. 
     
     
       7. The tester of  claim 1 , wherein the first acoustic element and the second acoustic element both have an annular shape defining a central aperture and the stud extends through each central aperture. 
     
     
       8. The tester of  claim 7 , wherein the first acoustic element and the second acoustic element are spaced from the stud. 
     
     
       9. The tester of  claim 8 , wherein the stack mass is adjacent to the second acoustic element opposite to the electrode, wherein the stack mass defines an aperture therein through which the stud extends, and wherein the stud includes a protrusion to load a force on the stack mass to the second acoustic element, the electrode, the first acoustic element, and the acoustic isolator. 
     
     
       10. The tester of  claim 9 , wherein the head is free from the force loaded on the stack mass. 
     
     
       11. A system for monitoring a component having at least one steam trap comprising:
 a central monitor remote from the component; 
 a handheld device in communication with the central monitor; 
 a wand including probe to mechanically contact and to test a select stream trap of the at least one steam trap acoustically and a thermal sensor to test the select steam trap thermally; 
 the wand being in communication with the handheld device and comprising:
 a probe extending between a distal end and a proximal end; 
 the distal end of the probe defining a probe tip to contact the device; 
 a first acoustic element located adjacent to the proximal end of the probe tip; 
 a second acoustic element spaced apart from the first acoustic element such that there is a space between the first acoustic element and the second acoustic element; 
 an electrode located between and spacing the first acoustic element and the second acoustic element; 
 a stud extending internally through the first acoustic element and the second acoustic element and at a distal end into the electrode; 
 a stack mass adjacent to the second acoustic element and remote from the first acoustic element; and 
 a head located on the stud proximate the stack mass and electrically connected to the electrode to detect acoustic readings at the probe tip; 
 
 the central monitor including storage having steam trap data and the handheld device being configured to download steam trap data for the select trap to be tested from the central monitor; and 
 the steam trap data including the emissivity of the select steam trap based at least partially on the type of material forming the steam trap. 
 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the thermal sensor comprises an infrared temperature sensor aimed adjacent to the probe tip for taking temperature readings of the device during the acoustic readings at the probe tip. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the wand, the handheld or both use the emissivity to correct the sensed temperature of the steam trap from the temperature sensor. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the steam trap data includes historical data of past acoustic readings of the select steam trap. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the steam trap data includes historical data of past thermal readings of the select steam trap. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the wand is wirelessly paired to the handheld device. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the wand is configured to take multiple discrete acoustic readings over a time period, wherein if at least one of the acoustic readings indicates that the select steam trap is good, then the wand outputs a signal associated with a good steam trap to the handheld device. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the wand is configured to take multiple discrete acoustic readings over a time period indicating a good trap or a bad trap, and wherein if a number of good trap readings are greater than a number of bad trap readings, then the select steam trap is labelled as good. 
     
     
       19. A tester for a steam or hot water component having at least one device, comprising:
 a probe extending between a distal end and a proximal end; 
 the distal end of the probe defining a probe tip to contact the at least one device; 
 a first acoustic element located adjacent to the proximal end of the probe tip; 
 a second acoustic element spaced apart from the first acoustic element such that there is a space between the first acoustic element and the second acoustic element; 
 an electrode located between and spacing the first acoustic element and the second acoustic element; 
 a stud extending internally through the first acoustic element and the second acoustic element and at a distal end into the electrode; 
 a stack mass adjacent to the second acoustic element and remote from the first acoustic element; 
 a head located on the stud proximate the stack mass and electrically connected to the electrode to detect acoustic signals at the probe tip; and 
 a device reader to read an identifier associated with the device to associate the acoustic signals at the probe tip to the at least one device. 
 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 19 , wherein the wand further comprises an infrared temperature sensor aimed adjacent to the probe tip for taking temperature readings of the at least one device during the acoustic readings at the probe tip; and
 wherein the wand is configured to take multiple discrete acoustic readings over a time period, and based on a setting to indicate that the at least one device is good if at least one acoustic reading is good, if a number of good device readings are greater than a number of bad device readings, or a combination thereof, then the wand outputs a signal associated with a good at least one device to the handheld device.